Review of At War With The Mystics Album by Flaming Lips

The release of a new Flaming Lips album is A Very Big Event in the world of adult alternative music. As one of the bands that has broken through with its mostly-accessible brand of left-field oddness and hooks that go back to Pink Floyd via lovely pop like Bread, their first, The Soft Bulletin is one of those iconic albums, while Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots became a bit of a global phenomenon. First question: is it as good as Yoshimi? Yes it is. Second (more hushed) question: is it as good as The Soft Bulletin? Well, like Charlie with his first chocolate bar, there is pretty good reason to feel excited, but in the end, not quite. The album takes a dip in the middle, after an awesome opening threesome, but finishes strong. It is easy to imagine that this is where the Beach Boys Pet Sounds may have ended up 30 years on had Brian Wilson's muse held - all full of beauty, melody, weirdness and just great alternative pop music.